


what you want is what i want

by princess_zel



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Dadko, Divorced Katara, Divorced Zuko, Domestic, Eventual Blended Family, F/M, Katara (Avatar) is a Good Parent, Momtara, Mutual Pining, POV Katara (Avatar), POV Zuko (Avatar), Past Aang/Katara (Avatar), Past Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Single Parents, They Love Each Other's Kids Like Their Own, They Parent Each Other's Kids, They love each other, Zuko (Avatar) is a Good Parent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:21:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28909248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princess_zel/pseuds/princess_zel
Summary: Katara isn't alone. She has Bumi and Kya. The three of them are family.Zuko isn't alone either. He has Izumi. The two of them are family.But maybe... just maybe, they can all be family together.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 104
Kudos: 220





	1. balls and bandaids

**Author's Note:**

  * For [antarcticas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/antarcticas/gifts), [lunarwaves](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunarwaves/gifts), [My_Bated_Breath](https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Bated_Breath/gifts), [tonguetide](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tonguetide/gifts).



> this fic is for dee, nook, jenn, n maren. i love u guys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara takes her children, Bumi and Kya, to the park. There she meets Zuko and his daughter, Izumi. Many new friendships are born.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look at me starting another fic jkfhgjkdfg. so like, i have the next chapter of family portraits written up, and i also have the first four chapters written/recorded for its podfic prequel, but... i don't know. i feel uncertain about them for the time being.
> 
> zutara big bang is starting, and i'm like... why not start a new, totally unrelated wip? i'm horrible, lol. if y'all could only see my various wip folders. they're a wreck. 
> 
> this fic will be exploring a blended ZK family in a modern setting :)) it shouldn't be too long (i hope).

“Bumi, no ball in the house!” she calls sharply, fixing Kya’s hair with loopies and beads while also packing a bag full of snacks, waters, wipes, and other essentials. Her attention divided, she hisses when she realizes she’s dropped one of Kya’s beads.

“Don’t worry, Mommy!” Kya says quickly, dropping to her knees so that she can crawl to where the bright blue bead has rolled beneath the table. “I’ve got it!”

Sweeping her own curls and hair loopies up into a high ponytail, Katara sighs, looking up just in time to see Bumi launch his ball across the living room. “Bumi!”

Her son snaps to attention briefly before bounding to her side, “Yes, Mom?” His eyes are mischievous, and he hides his ball behind his back.

“We’re going to the park,” she fights to keep her voice level. “You can play with your ball _there_.”

Kya pops up with the missing bead trapped within her closed fist. “I got it!”

Accepting the bead and threading it through Kya’s curls, Katara allows her gaze to drop on both of her children, “Have you both gone to the bathroom? We’re going to be out of the house for at least an hour, and we are _not_ going to the one by the playground if we can help it.”

Kya, with her big blue eyes and dark lashes, nods her head vigorously, “I went, Mommy.”

Bumi, on the other hand, pouts and stomps his feet, “But I don’t have to go!”

“I need you to go anyways, Bumi,” Katara says smoothly, reaching for the ball. “We always go before we leave the house, just in case. Remember?”

Reluctantly, Bumi spins on his heels, tearing through their small house to the bathroom. _“Fine!”_ In less than a minute, he’s crashing back into the living room, right to the edge of the foyer where Katara’s helping Kya put her shoes on. He holds his hands out expectantly, and she waits for him to tug on his jacket before she hands the ball back.

Hitting the light switch off in the living room, she pulls on her sneakers and coat, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “Are we all ready to go?” she asks with a smile.

When they both nod excitedly, she opens the door, and they race down the stairs, waiting for her at the front gate. As she takes care to lock the front door, she pushes a strand of hair away from her face, tiredly tucking it behind her ear. With a small hand gripping her own on either side, she leads them down the sidewalk, listening with interest as they chatter excitedly about their plans for once they reach the park.

“Mommy, play?” Kya asks eagerly, tugging lightly on her hand.

Her expression softens at the sight of her little girl, looking up at her with so much excitement. “I’ll do my best, sealpup. You two run so fast, though. I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep up.” Katara’s never been one for running, and she’s exhausted after a long week at work… But she loves her kids, and she’ll try for them. She always does.

Bumi looks less than satisfied with her answer, “Dad always runs with me when we go to the park.” The ball he’s carrying under his arm wavers, and he lets go of her hand so that he can fix it. “When will we get to see him?”

At that, Katara’s lips begin to twist into a frown. She catches herself. “He said something about seeing you both next weekend… But I don’t know how long he’ll be held up in the Fire Nation.”

She hates seeing the look of disappointment on both their faces. She hates knowing that she can’t fix it. She hates having to deal with the fallout of an absent co-parent.

Going into the relationship, she’d known that being with Aang would be difficult – His job requires a lot of international travel, and she’d initially been okay with it. She’s a school nurse at one of the local elementary schools so dealing with his travel had been a bit inconvenient but still relatively easy. After Bumi’s birth, though, Aang’s travels increased, and Katara often found herself alone, tending to their new baby while juggling her work responsibilities. Instead of getting better after Kya, things only got worse.

Eventually, she reached a breaking point. She’d agreed to marry Aang, expecting that he would still be involved in the lives of their children, believing that he would be there to support her. As much as she loved him and as much as she knew he loved her and their children, things simply weren’t working out anymore.

The divorce hadn’t been easy, and it had been difficult to explain to the children. But it was necessary.

Not much changed within their established family dynamic. With the way Aang traveled, she was practically a single mother already. The divorce just made things that much more official.

“I miss Daddy!” Kya bursts out from beside her.

Her heart is breaking. “I know, sealpup… And I’m so, so sorry.” She puts on a brave face. “But I’m _so_ happy that I get to spend my day with my two most favorite people in the entire world.”

They’ve almost arrived at the playground. Since it’s only a few blocks away from their home, she didn’t bother bringing the stroller. Kya loves walking.

As soon as they reach the playground, Bumi lets go of her hand, finding Kya’s. “Mom, can we go play?” At times, her son can be mischievous, but she knows that he takes good care of his baby sister.

“Of course,” she nods. “I’ll be over at that bench if you need me. Take care of each other, and we can play tag in a few minutes.”

As she makes her way over to the park bench, just a few paces away, she heaves a sigh of relief. She always hates discussions on Aang. She never knows what to say. Although she’d like to say that she and her ex are on good terms, it’s hard to tell. He pays child support and usually remembers birthdays and holidays, but he’s rarely ever home to see the kids, even after promising that he’d take them two weekends a month.

She’s a _mom._ Moms fix things. Moms make situations better. Moms kiss owies and give hugs and provide comfort. To see her kids so upset over something she can’t control kills her inside.

Dropping her bag onto the bench beside her, she double checks to make sure she hasn’t forgotten anything. Knowing Bumi, he’ll be racing over with Kya in a few minutes for a snack.

It’s a crisp autumn morning, and she enjoys the slight chill in the air for a change. She’s just getting back into the swing of things now that work’s started up and the kids are in school. Working at the school is a comfort, knowing that her kids are only a few doors down if they need her while being able to do something to help the children of the community.

Watching Kya and Bumi from her peripherals, she smiles when Bumi takes Kya down the slide, his ball waiting for him at the bottom. In so many ways, they remind her of when she and Sokka were young. 

As they soar down the slick metal, Kya squeals in delight, and Bumi roars with laughter. They both love the slides. When they reach the bottom, though, they realize that another little girl has taken hold of Bumi’s ball. Instantly, Katara’s on the alert, ready to bolt over to the bottom of the slide and play peacemaker. She’s surprised, though, when a tall man strides over from where he’s been watching them by the gate, dropping down to one knee and wrapping a light arm around the little girl. He must be her father.

Although she can’t hear what the man’s saying, Katara watches as Bumi’s angry expression morphs into an excited one again. Kya still clings to Bumi’s arm, hanging back behind her brother uncertainly.

Before she knows it, all three of the children sprint off to where they can find an open space, plopping down onto the rubber mats scattered around the playground, rolling the ball back and forth between them.

From across the park, she meets the man’s eyes. They’re gold. She doesn’t startle at the long scar that’s concentrated on the left side of his face.

Gathering her things and slinging her bag over her shoulder, she gets up from the bench and walks over to where the children are playing… so she can keep a closer eye on them, of course.

“Hello.” His voice is gravelly and light, and he’s leaning against one of the many metal railings that line the perimeter of the area.

She settles in a careful distance beside him, dropping her bag on the ground nearby. “Hi.”

When Bumi notices her relocation, he pops up from the ground, running over, “Mom, mom, mom, I’m hungry.” He latches onto her side, peering up at her with large pale blue eyes.

With a short laugh, she reaches into her bag, handing him a package of crackers, “You’re always hungry, sealpup. Make sure you share some with Kya and your new friend.” She glances up at the man, “If that’s okay with you, of course.”

He nods, “If it’s okay with you, it’s okay with me.”

“Mom, you _have_ to meet her,” Bumi cuts in. “Her name is Izumi, and she’s about to turn five so that means she’s younger than me but older than Kya, and she knows how to swing on the monkey bars, and she says she can swing higher than me, but I don’t _believe_ her.” And then, he’s whipping around and running back to the little girls who’ve paused their game, waiting for him.

She shifts, facing the stranger slightly, “It seems that my kids have taken a liking to your…”

“Daughter,” he fills in the blank. A nervous hand rubs at the back of his neck. “She seems to like yours too.” His face is sharp and defined, and from where she’s standing on his right side, she can just barely make out the edges of his scar. He’s wearing a light jacket and black jeans, his hands shoved into his pockets. 

The kids have since abandoned their game of ball, content to idly swing together while eating their crackers, a short distance away.

“I’m Zuko, by the way,” he adds.

That stubborn strand of hair slips out from behind her ear again, she huffs, tucking it back again. “I’m Katara. It’s nice to meet you.”

He sighs, in a tired way that she knows all too well. “Same here. Izumi’s been needing some friends. We just moved into the area, and she’s really shy.”

Something in her heart stirs. “You both are welcome to grab lunch with us after they’re done playing.”

His head shoots up so quickly that she’s almost startled. “We wouldn’t want to impose.”

“You wouldn’t be imposing,” she reassures him, fiddling with the bottom edge of her jacket. “Bumi and Kya get lonely sometimes, and they can be quite the handful when it’s just the three of us. Besides, I feel like I haven’t spoken to another adult in… well, ages. You’d be doing all three of us a favor, really. Unless, you don’t want to come in which case I don’t mean to pressure you or anything…” Her voice trails off uncertainly.

Zuko clears his throat, keeping his gaze trained on the children as they swing, “Izumi and I would love to join the three of you for lunch, Katara.”

The corners of her lips tilt upward into a smile, “Then it’s settled. I know a really good noodle shop just down the block. I usually take the kids there after the park.”

“Sounds perfect… Oh shoot, hold on.” And then, he takes off running to the swingsets where Bumi and Izumi have just leaped from their swings, hitting the rubber mats, hard.

Stuffing her things back in her bag, she follows him there quickly, very nearly crashing into the jungle gym and the monkey bars on the way there.

Zuko’s already scooped a crying Izumi up off the ground, with her little arms twined around his neck, watching in amusement as Bumi proudly shows off his newly scraped knees. Hopping off her swing and coming up beside Zuko, little Kya begins to cry, opening her arms to her big brother.

Dropping to her knees beside Zuko, Katara gathers her children to her chest, pressing a kiss atop both of their heads. “Are you two sealpups having fun?” she asks, examining Bumi’s knees.

“Yeah! Did you see me, Mom?” her son asks excitedly, bouncing on his toes despite his torn knees. “I leaped off the swing when I was really, really high up, and I was _flying_ just like how Dad does when he leaves home on those airplanes!”

Katara stiffens at that, and Zuko seems to do the same as he’s consoling Izumi. “Let me see if I have some bandages. We’ll fix you two right up.”

Izumi, whose lower lip is wobbling terribly, has her father’s golden eyes. “You have bandaids?” she asks, crawling out of Zuko’s lap toward Katara.

“Izumi,” Zuko calls, a question for Katara in his eyes.

She meets his gaze with a smile, subtly nodding her head. “Of course I do. I’m a mom, and I’m a school nurse. I never leave home without them.” She makes a big show of digging through her bag to find her small first aid kit before holding it out for Izumi to investigate while she uses a wipe to clean her hands.

Uncertainty crosses over Izumi’s sharp features before relief overcomes them. “Can you fix my knees?”

With a nod, Katara beckons her to come closer, already cleaning the dirt out of Bumi’s cuts, spreading ointment across them, and sticking twin bandaids on his ripped skin. 

Kya, nervously watching the scene unfold, wraps her arms around her brother tightly, patting his cheeks with her hands. “Better, Bumi?”

“Yeah – That was _so_ cool! Are you going to play tag with us, Mom? You promised you would!”

In all honesty, she’d really rather not play tag right now. Her muscles are exhausted, and she’d like nothing more than to return to her bench and sit for a bit before they go get lunch. It turns out that she can.

“Hey, buddy – How about a round of tag with me?” Zuko asks suddenly.

Bumi’s eyes light instantly. “Really? Do you run fast? Mom never runs fast enough.”

Katara’s features draw into a scowl as she focuses on Izumi’s knees. “Hey, I run fast, sealpup.”

“I guess we’ll just have to race sometime and prove that, yeah, Katara?” Zuko smirks. Then, he jumps to his feet as Bumi takes off again, racing off to scale the jungle gym with Kya running along behind him.

Carefully placing on last bandage on Izumi’s scrapes, Katara stands, offering the little girl a hand up.

“Thank you so much,” Izumi breathes, dashing her tears away with her fists. “Daddy never brings bandaids with him.” She wraps her arms around Katara tightly before letting go, running off to join Bumi and Kya as they avoid getting tagged by Zuko.

Balling up the used ointment packet and bandage scraps, Katara tosses them in the trash as she leaves the swingset area and heads over to where the kids and Zuko are playing together. A fond smile works its way onto her features as Bumi and Izumi yell and scream whenever Zuko gets close, keeping Kya close behind them. 

Zuko, for his part, looks like he’s having a grand old time, remaining on the ground while the kids stay up on the platforms. For a moment, he pauses, sweeping the long locks of hair that fall in front of his eyes into a tight little ponytail at the back of his head. She has to fight to keep her looking respectful because he looks damn good right now.

Sinking onto a bench where she can keep a close eye on the four of them, Katara doesn’t find herself reaching for her magazine like she intends to. Instead, she watches Zuko and the kids, and he occasionally glances back to look at her. 

Her heart stutters in her chest, and she suddenly feels self conscious about her leggings and messy ponytail. 

“Mom, mom, mom!” Bumi yells from across the playground. He doesn’t dare climb down the side of the jungle gym because Zuko prowls right by the ladder, blocking his only escape. “I’m hungry! Can you bring me and Zumi and Kya a snack? If we leave now, the tigershark will attack!”

Arching a brow, Katara fishes her phone out of her pocket, checking the time, “Actually, it’s almost time for lunch. Are both of you sealpups hungry?”

“Yes!” Kya exclaims, stomping her little foot.

Dragging herself up off the bench to go stand by Zuko, she looks up at her children as they peek back at her through the bars of the jungle gym. “Are you both ready for some ramen and mandu?”

Bumi’s quick to protest, “We don’t want to stop playing! You never play tigershark with us, Mom, and Mr. Zuko’s really good at being a tigershark!”

“Hey, buddy, would it be alright if Izumi and I joined you kiddos and your mom for lunch?” Zuko cuts in smoothly, still watching her out of the corner of his good eye.

“Yes!” Instantly, all three of the kids scramble to reach the slide close by, Bumi making sure that Kya goes down with him safely.

By the time they’ve left the park and shared a meal together, Katara feels light on her feet. Izumi gives her a hug before they part ways, thanking her for taking care of her knees, and Zuko exchanges numbers with her, promising the children that they’ll schedule another playdate for the three of them soon.

As soon as Zuko and Izumi disappear down the street, Bumi and Kya are tugging on her arms, begging to know when their next playdate will be.

With a nervous laugh, Katara leads her children down the sidewalk in the opposite direction, “I don’t know, sealpups. Mr. Zuko and I will have to talk to each other and figure out what time works best. Did you like them?”

Squeezing Katara’s hand tightly, Kya lets out an emphatic, “Yes!”

Bumi, his ball tucked securely under his arm again, looks up at her. His face has been schooled into such a serious expression that Katara is almost worried for him. “Mom, Izumi is now my bestest friend, and Mr. Zuko is the coolest person in the world.”

Caught completely off guard, Katara finds herself agreeing with him. Her phone vibrates, and she briefly lets go of Bumi’s hand in order to check her notifications. 

It’s Zuko, asking to make sure she and the kids have gotten home safely. 

Her lips betray her, twisting up into a smile.

“Mom, do you like Mr. Zuko and Izumi?” Bumi demands to know as they finally reach their front gate.

Blue eyes flicking downward to look at her son, Katara lifts her shoulders up in a rather shaky shrug. “I’d like to think so… I guess we’ll just have to see, yeah? Now let’s get inside and wash up. Maybe we can make some cookies.”

“Cookies!” both kids squeal, rushing into the house as soon as Katara’s able to unlock the door.

As she hangs their jackets up on the wall and places their shoes on the rack, she catches herself smiling as she types out a reply to Zuko’s text. She’s in _trouble._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really enjoyed writing this chapter. i feel like i don't see a ton of modern blended ZK family fics out there, and i began writing this to help fill that void. i'm such a sucker for family dynamics, oml, can y'all tell, lol?
> 
> i appreciate comments n kudos n hi's via [tumblr](https://elsie-zel.tumblr.com/) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/elsie_zel)!
> 
> Elsie


	2. friends and feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko throws a birthday party for Izumi at an arcade, largely due to help from Katara. He gets teased relentlessly by Toph and his uncle, Iroh, for his friendship with Katara.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here with another chapter >:) this one's from Zuko's pov.
> 
> i'm kind of swamped with school (and zkbb) rn so this isn't proofread, but i hope you enjoy anyways, lol. (i plan on going back and reviewing it again later when i have more time!!)

“Daddy, we’re going to be late,” Izumi exclaims, tugging on his hand.

Zuko can’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. It’s been so long since he’s seen his little girl this happy. In the aftermath of the divorce and the move, Izumi has retreated inward. What other ways are there for a four-almost-five year old to cope with such drastic life changes so young?

His little girl takes after her mother in so many ways – her reserved nature being one of them. Her hair, bluntly cut to her shoulders, is often pulled back in a half ponytail, and her smile is far dryer than he ever expected to see on a kindergartener. Her golden eyes are sharp, and she’s very smart, already ahead of her class at school. 

Lightly tousling her hair, he reaches for his keys, “No, we’re not. They can’t start the party without the birthday girl.” As Izumi struggles to pull on her winter coat, he leans over slightly to assist her, tugging the zipper up and handing over her mittens. “Are you excited, Zumi?”

“Yes,” she nods enthusiastically, the little pom pom on her hat bobbing up and down with the movement. Then, her mittened hand slips in his as he reaches for his keys. “How long will it take to get there, Daddy?”

As they exit their tiny apartment, Zuko makes sure to lock the door behind them, heading down the building to the basement garage where their car is parked. “We’ll get there quickly, I promise, Zumi. First, we have to pick up –”

“Bumi and Kya and Ms. Katara?!” Izumi exclaims, head snapping up to look at him brightly. It warms his heart.

He smiles, “Yes, Zumi. We wouldn’t want to be late picking them up, would we?”

So, Izumi bounces along as they walk through the rows of parked cars before arriving at their own. Pulling out of the garage is quick enough, as is navigating the way to Katara’s house. It’s a route that’s almost second nature to him at this point.

Over the past few months, he and Katara have been able to get to know each other fairly well as they facilitate playdates for their children. Since her house is bigger than his apartment, indoor meetings tend to take place there, and since he has a car and she doesn’t, he’s taken to driving her and the kids whenever they have a common destination.

Izumi has several pairs of clothing that now remain in a designated drawer of Kya’s armoire, just in case she gets her current ones dirty while baking with Kya or painting with Bumi, and two new carseats have taken up permanent residence in the backseat of his car. 

The changes happen subtly over time, but they don’t shock him as much as he’d expect them to. There’s something very familiar and comforting and supportive about his friendship with Katara.

It’s always a give and take with her, a delicate push and pull.

He’d be lying if he said that his mind hasn’t eased just a bit now that Izumi has a strong woman in her life to look up to. 

Mai never wanted to be a mother. Izumi’s conception came as a surprise to them both, shortly after their marriage, and by the time his little girl was born, Mai was in the process of researching annulment. Somehow, he’d managed to persuade her to stay, but it didn’t last long. 

Never in his life did he think he’d have to beg his wife to love their daughter. But he did. As Mai sunk into deep postpartum depression, Zuko did his best to be there for their tiny baby. He thought that they’d be okay, that he and Mai would be able to slip back into an easy partnership while raising their daughter.

But Mai had never wanted Izumi. That much became clear. Her depression didn’t fade, and her interest in their family decreased rapidly. As the years dragged along, it became achingly clear that their marriage was tearing at the seams.

When Izumi turned three, Mai finally filed for divorce, rekindling a relationship with another one of her old flames, a businessman, Kei Lo. She didn’t want any part in their daughter’s custody. 

It hurt. Once the divorce was finalized and the split was official, Zuko left Caldera, taking Izumi with him, not daring to look back.

He’s felt distanced from Mai for some time now. He loved her once, and she made him a father, but they were two very incompatible people who wanted different things in life. He not particularly good at holding grudges, though, and he hopes that she’s happy now, the way he and Izumi are.

In some ways, he’d expected to receive a fresh start in Ba Sing Se. A new company, a new apartment, a new set of opportunities. He knows that Toph is close by in Gaoling, and his uncle runs a tea shop in the city, but he hadn’t anticipated making any friends around his age. He knows very well that he’s not the most sociable type.

Meeting Katara and her kids at the park that autumn day was a near miracle for him and Izumi.

In the few months that he’s known her, Katara has made up for what he lacks as a parent, and he does the same for her. When Bumi got into a fight with another kid at school, he didn’t want to speak to his mother – He wanted to talk to Mr. Zuko. When Izumi wanted three different kinds of cupcakes for her birthday party, she’d been disappointed when her father had admitted that he didn’t quite know how to bake – Ms. Katara had been more than happy to volunteer herself for the task anyways. It’s how they operate now.

Bringing the car to a rolling stop in front of Katara’s house with practiced ease, he shoots off a quick text to her, letting her know that they’re here. He pops open the car door and forces himself out into the cold, ready to assist Katara with everything she’ll need to carry down to the trunk.

Moments later, the door opens as both Bumi and Kya bound down the steps to the gates, Katara appearing slightly after them.

As he takes a number of items from her laden arms, she shoots him a grateful smile. As he piles things into the trunk, she slides the stacked plastic cupcake containers onto the passenger seat before moving to buckle Kya into her carseat. Bumi’s already gotten into his booster seat, climbing over Izumi to reach the middle of the car, snapping his seatbelt on all by himself. Once all three kids are secured in their seats in the middle row, she joins him up in the front, the cupcakes resting on her lap as she shivers lightly in the cold air.

“Thank you for picking us up, Zuko.” She always says thank you, no matter how routine this has become for them all.

He grins back at her, locking the doors and maneuvering the car back onto the street, “Of course. Thank you for the cupcakes.”

Patting the plastic lid lightly, she nods, “I had some big helpers too, you know.”

Kya kicks her legs excitedly in the backseat, “I helped!”

At the same time, Bumi groans, “Mom, don’t tell Mr. Zuko. Baking is for _girls,_ not for boys.”

“Anyone can bake, Bumi,” Katara shoots back easily. “And I really appreciated your help.”

Zuko nods, “Izumi and I do too. We can’t wait until we get to try them all, right, Zumi?” He drums his fingers against the steering wheel while glancing at his little girl through the rearview mirror.

“Yes,” Izumi nods sagely. “I love cupcakes.” Then, she turns to her right, where Bumi’s sitting in the middle of the row. “Bumi, look at this.” Then, Kya’s scrambling to look over at whatever Izumi’s showing Bumi too.

Out of the corner of his eye, Zuko smiles at the fond look that crosses over Katara’s features. She shifts in her seat a bit, glancing over at him. “They’re really cute,” she whispers conspiratorially. “Bumi and Kya have been dying to see you both all morning. Even while they were helping me with baking the cupcakes, they kept asking when you’d be coming to pick us up.”

“I bet they’re just excited about the arcade,” he says shortly. He’ll never admit the way his heart squeezes at the thought of Bumi and Kya loving him and Izumi enough to look forward to seeing them.

She shakes her head quickly, “Not just the arcade, Zuko. Although, they’re excited about that too. They missed seeing you and Zumi this past week.”

Bringing the car to a slow at a red light, he risks meeting her eyes briefly, “It’s good to be home again. I don’t like going back to Caldera unless we have to.”

“We’re glad that you’re back, Zuko,” Katara says, tapping out patterns atop the plastic containers on her lap. “I’m glad that you’re back,” she adds, a few seconds later, almost as an afterthought.

He doesn’t quite know how to respond to that, and luckily, a scuffle between Bumi and Kya is enough to distract from the way sweat is beginning to bead on his brow despite it being the dead of winter. When he finally pulls the car into the arcade parking lot, all three of the kids cheer loudly.

Still carrying the cupcake container in her arms, Katara gets out of the car as Zuko makes the rounds, opening the backdoors and unbuckling seatbelts. Soon, he finds himself with his two little girls’ hands in his while Bumi races along beside his mother. The arcade is just now opening, and he’s reserved a section of it specifically for Izumi’s birthday party.

At the double doors with smudged glass near the entrance, they meet Zuko’s uncle, Iroh, along with some of Izumi’s friends from school and their parents who are all there for Izumi’s birthday party. 

As Bumi talks excitedly with Iroh and Izumi chatters with her school friends, Kya keeps a tight hold on Zuko’s hand. “Play?” she asks him, blue eyes wide.

“Soon, sealpup,” Katara smiles.

“Here, let me take those,” Zuko scoops up the containers so that Kya can slip a hand through Katara’s. “I’m sorry I didn’t take them sooner.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she reassures him. “I didn’t mind.” She seems to notice his discomfort as they linger by the doorway and greets the other parents, all smiles and kind greetings. 

Zuko moves toward Bumi and his uncle, who both pass him rather devious grins. Running a nervous hand through his messy hair, he waits with them until an arcade worker pushes the double doors open and welcomes the group inside. “Not a word, Uncle,” he hisses.

Arching a silver brow, Iroh laughs heartily, “It is foolish to refuse to eat for risk of choking, Nephew.” He glances pointedly at Katara, who’s busy charming the rest of Izumi’s friends’ parents.

“I _said_ not a word, Uncle,” Zuko manages to protest, subtly tilting his head toward a curious Bumi. “Did Toph let you know when she’d be making it here?” This’ll be the first time Toph and Iroh have ever met Katara despite mentioning her and the children offhandedly a few times over the past several months. He’d be lying if he claimed he isn’t nervous about their meeting. One look at Katara and her bright eyes, though, and he knows that she’ll have both Iroh and Toph charmed easily. 

“Miss Toph said she would be arriving within the first hour of the party,” Iroh replies, stretching his aching muscles slowly. “She’s being driven from Gaoling as we speak.”

Thankfully, while he and Iroh were speaking, Katara spoke with the arcade manager and set the children up with the tokens they need to play games. Now, she’s ushering the other parents to a place where they can all sit and converse while keeping an eye on the kids. As some of the parents sit down in booths and others move to go help their kids play games, Katara comes up beside him, Kya still gripping her hand tightly.

“And you must be Ms. Katara,” Iroh greets her with a slight bow of his head. “I am Iroh, Zuko’s uncle.”

Katara returns the gesture with a radiant smile, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Iroh. Zuko’s told me so much about you.”

With a sly look in his eye, Iroh continues, “Zuko neglected to mention how beautiful a companion he has.”

A light blush dusts Katara’s cheeks as she accepts the compliment, flustered, “Thank you, Iroh. Zuko didn’t mention how endearing an uncle he has.” Then, she glances down at Kya, who’s tugging at her hand more insistently. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a very patient sealpup to play with.”

“Thank you for your help, Katara,” Zuko says before she can walk off with Kya. “I really appreciate it.”

“Of course, Zuko,” she beams at him. “We’re a team, yeah?” Then, she allows Kya to pull her toward one of the various claw machines lining the wall. As she walks off, he hears her attempting to dissuade her little one of wasting a token on the rigged machine, “Sealpup, why don’t we go find your brother and see what he’s up to? Those machines are _really_ hard to beat, but I think I saw Bumi playing whack-a-shirsu. How about we go see?”

Ignoring his uncle’s pointed look, Zuko moves to greet the remaining parents before going off to find Izumi. He spots her with one of her school friends, playing skee-ball on the other side of the arcade. Before he can reach her, though, she’s joined by Bumi, followed by Kya and Katara, as her friend moves on to a different game.

He lingers by the row of turtleduck shooting machines, watching as Izumi and Bumi start a new game and play competitively while Kya tries to lob her balls up the sloped incline, refusing Katara’s help and insisting she can do it herself. 

“Damn, Sparky. You’re whipped.”

Startled, he turns to face Toph who’s sporting a wicked grin. “Toph. When did you get here?”

Leaning up against an empty machine, Toph shuts him down quickly, “Doesn’t matter. I may be blind, but even I can see your smile from across the damn room. Gross.”

“Shut up, Toph.”

“Don’t want to.”

“Auntie Toph!” Izumi finally takes notice of them, latching onto Bumi’s arm and dragging him along behind her. “Daddy, come play with us. Ms. Katara says that you can teach us how to play pinball.”

Rubbing his hands together briskly, Zuko grins down at his daughter, “Sure, turtleduck. I’m a little rusty, but I can give it a shot.”

“Forget your dad – You should learn how to play pinball from _me_ ,” Toph cuts in with a cackle.

Zuko holds back a snort, “Go find Uncle, Toph. He’s probably lonely without any company.”

Her features twisting into a mock grimace, Toph grabs her cane and shakes her head, “You just don’t want me making any more jokes about your –”

He clamps down a hand over her mouth before she can say it, “ _Toph_.”

“Alright, alright, I’m going,” Toph laughs again. “You’re no fun, Sparky.”

Izumi dissolves into giggles as Bumi’s expression turns suspicious. “Daddy, come on. Bumi and I wanna learn how to play, and you’re the only one who can teach us!”

So he does. Throughout the rest of the afternoon, Zuko plays with Izumi and Bumi, teaching them how to play pinball, giving them tips as they attempt skee-ball again, and carrying their tokens and the tickets they receive after each game. Every time he passes Katara and Kya, he feels his heart lurch in his chest.

Eventually, it’s time for dinner, and after cheerfully singing happy birthday, Izumi’s birthday group feasts on kimbap that Uncle brought and the cupcakes Katara made. As families slowly begin to leave, dropping off their presents for the birthday girl and wishing her well, redeeming their remaining tickets at the prize counter toward the side of the arcade, Katara and Iroh assist Zuko with clean up, for which he’s very grateful. Toph keeps the kids busy and accompanies them up the prize counter while they wait, telling them funny stories and lively jokes.

As Iroh packs up the leftover kimbap, he wiggles his brows suggestively and shoots looks at Katara, and Zuko feels as though he’s about to die of mortification. Thankfully, Katara is oblivious to the embarrassing wordless exchanges he’s having with his uncle, sweeping up puddles of spilled juice and soy sauce with a pile of damp napkins.

When Toph returns with the kids from the prize counter, they all suit up, pulling on coats and hats and mittens and scarves.

“It was very good to see you and Izumi, Nephew,” Iroh says with a light duck of his head. “And it was a pleasure to finally meet you and your children, Ms. Katara.”

With an easygoing smile, she replies, “Just Katara is fine. It’s been lovely meeting you and Toph.” She places a hand on each of her children’s shoulders.

“Same here, Sugar Queen,” Toph grins. “Trust me. Sparky’s spoken so much about your family that it’s about time we all met properly.”

It takes all that is within Zuko to restrain himself and not elbow his cheeky friend in the stomach. Instead, he runs a hand through Izumi’s short hair, “Thanks for dropping by, Toph. Don’t be a stranger.”

Throwing her chin up in a quick nod, Toph replies, “You know it. I’ll shoot you a call the next time my parents start bugging me. I’m always looking for an excuse to leave Gaoling.”

“You must come visit me at my tea shop soon, Ms. Toph,” Iroh interjects. “And you as well, Ms. Katara. You are all welcome at the Jasmine Dragon whenever you would like. It does this old man good to see such bright young souls.”

At that, Izumi throws her arms around Toph, and then Iroh, her golden eyes beseeching. “Come visit us soon too, please.”

Moments later, Bumi and Kya follow suit. Iroh glances at Zuko again pointedly, and Toph just snickers.

“ _Bye_ , Toph,” Zuko grits out. “ _Bye_ , Uncle.” He watches as they leave the arcade, laughing together as they walk through the parking lot.

Katara, holding onto Kya’s hand, has already grabbed the empty cupcake containers, and Zuko picks up Izumi’s various gifts. Both Bumi and Izumi are already showing off their arcade prizes: little plastic badgermoles, some gooey substances in small jars that are sure to drive Katara crazy, and cute stuffed turtleducks. 

“Sleepy,” Kya mumbles, reaching up her arms toward Katara.

Practically swaying on her feet, Katara hushes her little girl swiftly, “We’ll be back at the car soon, okay, sealpup?”

Without a second thought, Zuko hands the bags off to Izumi and Bumi, opening his arms wide, “I’ll carry you, Kya.”

Toddling over into his arms, Kya quickly nestles herself against his chest, her puffy jacket making it a bit difficult to get a solid grip on her tiny form. He begins to walk from the arcade to where the car’s parked, Bumi and Izumi keeping close between him and Katara. Several times, he feels Katara’s gaze on them, an unidentifiable look in her eyes.

As he buckles Kya into her carseat and Katara does the same for Izumi on the other side of the car, he wishes, for a moment, that he could have this every day. Then, he wonders, for another moment, if Katara wishes the same thing.

After he drops her and the kids back at their house a little later that night, she locks eyes with him through the window, and his fingers grip the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles turn white.

As he watches her usher the kids in through the door, Zuko’s suddenly overcome with an intense wave of emotion. With a bright smile, she waves at him before closing the door shut behind them, and he’s so shaken that he doesn’t realize he hasn’t pulled away from their house until Izumi kicks the back of his seat to remind him.

It’s only been a few months since Zuko first met Katara, but… He just might be in love with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhh what can i say? i live for domestic, pining ZK. (along with matchmaking Grandpa Iroh and wild Auntie Toph)
> 
> i appreciate comments/kudos/hi's via [tumblr](https://elsie-zel.tumblr.com/) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/elsie_zel). they are my serotonin as i swim through linux servers and piles of code.
> 
> Elsie


	3. peace and promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara and Zuko take their kids to their spring concert, and Sokka comes along to watch. Thanks to one of Sokka's (brilliant) plans, Katara and Zuko have a long overdue conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope that Z and K's relationship development has been smooth so far; each chapter represents a different season (of weather, lol, and of life), and i hope that that's been apparent with each update. 
> 
> a lot of wack stuff has been happening recently on Tumblr that's been pretty draining, but i wanted to give y'all this update for some serotonin (we all need it once again). 
> 
> also, Sokka is a dope big brother. and shout out to everyone who grew up eating shrimp crackers.

“Wait, so who are we meeting again?” Sokka leans against the kitchen counter, plucking a few grapes from a nearby glass bowl and popping them into his mouth.

“I’ve told you a million times now, Sokka. We’re meeting Zuko and Izumi.” Katara doesn’t have time for her brother and his shenanigans. She pokes her head out of the fridge to glare at him momentarily, pouring purified water into three kiddie thermoses and packing three ziploc bags of shrimp crackers.

Chewing obnoxiously loud, Sokka doesn’t miss a beat before asking, “Who’s Zuko?”

“Sokka, you’ve literally _met_ him before,” she scoffs, letting the fridge door to slam just a tad harder than necessary. “He’s my friend.”

Her brother snorts, “Your friend. Pfft. _Sure,_ Katara. Like I’m believing that. Friends who coparent kids together and take each other out on dates and –”

She cuts him off, hands flying to her hips as her brows draw together in a deep frown, “Shut up, Sokka.” Dropping the snacks she’s prepared onto the counter, she claps the back of his neck lightly. “The kids are in the other room, and they already have enough ideas as it is without you giving them more.”

Sokka just rolls his eyes, downing his glass of water in one go before growing uncharacteristically serious. “Katara. Seriously. I don’t mean to pry, but you’ve been spending a lot of time with this guy, and, I know what you’re going to say, but listen to me. For once,” he adds mischievously, yelping as her elbow knocks against his stomach. He schools his features once again, faintly glaring. “You both have three kids between you. If you won’t talk to him and figure this all out for yourself, then do it for their sakes. Okay?”

She knows he isn’t wrong. She and Zuko _have_ been spending a lot of time together. They’ve known each other for the better part of a year now, and what was once a friendship between two frazzled, divorced parents attempting to raise three unruly kids has now blossomed into… something more personal.

Hoping beyond hope that the kids are _not_ eavesdropping on this conversation as they watch TV in the living room, Katara relents with a sigh. “Okay, Sokka. I’ll talk to him.”

“Great,” her brother grins, digging through her cupboards with renewed vigor. “I worry for you sometimes, you know? You’ll always be my baby sister, and I just want you to be happy.”

Picking up a wet dishrag, she flicks it outward, lightly hitting his hip. “And you thought that raiding my cupboards was the best way to go about it?”

He doesn’t even bother looking guilty. “What can I say? I’m a growing man.”

“No, you’re a grown man. There’s a difference.” Rifling through the bag she’s packing for the night, she drops the snack baggies and the thermoses in it, remembering to fill a bottle for herself too. “I think we’re almost ready to go, and Zuko’s parking outside. You can sit in the front with Zuko, and I’ll have to hop into the back row.”

“I’m alright with sitting in the back, Katara,” Sokka replies, shoving a handful of shrimp crackers into his mouth. He continues, suddenly far less intelligible than before, “You don’t gotta give up sitting with your _friend_ for me.”

One more glare from Katara shuts him up.

She slings her bag for the night over her shoulder, grabbing her keys and poking her head into the living room, “Bumi? Kya? We’re going to be heading out soon.” 

Slouched on the couch with the TV remote clutched tightly between his fingers, Bumi’s wearing the nicest white shirt he owns and a pair of dark dress slacks that are just the slightest bit too short for him now. He’s been going through a growth spurt recently, and she hasn’t had the time or the energy to take him out to buy new clothing.

Kya, with her hair properly looped and braided, is sitting way too close to the TV, mesmerized by the bright colors and flashing lights. The black and white recital dress she’s wearing is a hand-me-down from Izumi. Zuko’s rather meticulous about keeping clothing in near perfect condition and being sure to pass down things Izumi’s outgrown to Kya, who’s only a year and a half younger.

Her kids mumble a response, and she rolls her eyes fondly. After a more assessing look, though, she’s concerned for Bumi. She hands the bag off to Sokka and directs him to go help Kya with her shoes in the foyer before sinking into the couch beside her son. 

With one swift motion, Katara tugs her squirming, slouching boy into her arms, “What’s the matter, sealpup? You were so excited to sing at the concert today.”

He doesn’t try to escape her grasp and bounce around the room like he usually does. Instead, he goes limp in her arms like a fish. “I don’t wanna go, Mom.”

“Why don’t you wanna go, sealpup?” she asks, running her fingers through his hair. “You’re always so happy when you sing… This isn’t like you.”

His frown deepens. “Dad isn’t coming tonight.” It isn’t a question. It’s a statement.

She holds him closer, leaning her head atop his, “No… But he did say that he’d send you and Kya something in the mail so we’ll have to be on the lookout for that.”

“He promised that he’d come for our show!” Bumi’s chest is heaving, and she can sense the tears building at the corners of his eyes even before they slip down his ruddy cheeks.

“I’m so sorry, sealpup,” she whispers, hardly able to keep her own voice from cracking with strain. “Your dad really does love you… He just doesn’t know how to show it sometimes.” Her heart is breaking, splitting in two, but she has to keep her composure. Both Bumi and Kya look to her for stability and comfort and protection, and she won’t fail them. She will never turn her back on her children when they need her.

Fisting the hem of his dress shirt, Bumi tears away from her, his lower lip wobbling, “I hate this! I hate Dad! I hate this stupid show! And I hate you!”

A sob catches at the back of her throat as her son flings himself away from her, burying his face into one of the couch pillows.

A new figure appears in the doorway, hesitating.

She’s too overwhelmed by her own grief at Bumi’s words to register Zuko stepping into the room, crouching beside her, and tugging her son into his strong arms. Through the haze of her mind, she thinks she can hear Zuko talking to her boy, whispering words of comfort and understanding and discipline.

“You have every right to be hurt, Bumi… None of this is fair, and you deserve to feel loved. But you shouldn’t have said that to your mom.”

“I didn’t mean it, Mr. Zuko – I swear I don’t hate her. I don’t hate anybody. Not even my dad. I just miss him, and he’s gone all the time, and he _left_ us. He left me and Mom and Kya.” There’s a tremor in his voice. “Are you going to leave us too, Mr. Zuko? I don’t want you to leave.”

“I’m not leaving.” It’s a promise. A hand slips through hers, and she barely registers the warmth of Zuko’s fingers closing over her own.

Bumi’s sobs have mostly quieted now, and he hiccups, rubbing his eyes with his fists profusely. “I wish you were my dad, Mr. Zuko.” He doesn’t pick his head up off Zuko’s chest, content to remain there, wiping his eyes against Zuko’s clean button-up.

With a sad sort of smile, Zuko tousles Bumi’s hair before holding up her hand, still clasped in his. “I think you owe your mom an apology.”

The remorse is apparent on his face when Bumi throws his arms around her, crying into the crook of her neck. “Mom, I’m sorry – I don’t hate you at all. I love you a lot.” He sniffles, leaning into her gentle touch as she jolts back to life, rubbing soothing circles into his back with her free hand. “You’re the best mom in the whole world.”

Meeting Zuko’s eyes over Bumi’s head, Katara squeezes his hand gratefully. She’s been a single mother for years now, and after making peace with the fact that she’ll likely end up without a life partner, she’s never really thought that she’d have someone to hold her hand through it. 

Truthfully, she hasn’t attempted dating much since her divorce with Aang. There was Haru, a teacher at the school employing her, and then Jet, her old college flame. Neither worked out, especially once they came upon the realization that Katara was now a package deal.

From what she knows about Izumi’s mother, Zuko’s also survived a fairly difficult divorce, hence his move to Ba Sing Se, and his ex-wife isn’t currently involved in Izumi’s life beyond sending a check every now and again. They’re more alike than Katara could’ve ever expected, and she doesn’t think she’s imagining the mutual attraction that exists between them. Their relationship is now comfortingly familiar, but she also knows that it wouldn’t take much to push things further between them.

Still, Sokka is right. She has to speak with Zuko about what he expects from their relationship. This isn’t just about them, Zuko and Katara. This is about both their families, Zuko and Katara and Bumi and Izumi and Kya. There are _five_ hearts on the line, not two.

Above all else, Katara will protect her children, even if it means sacrificing something more with Zuko.

“I love you too, Bumi,” she whispers, leaning her head atop her son’s. “Never doubt my love for you, sealpup.”

Bumi’s cries intensify, and Zuko releases his hold on her hand so she can wrap herself more fully around her son. He leaves the room, giving her space to properly console her little boy.

When she and Bumi finally join the rest of the family in the car, Bumi’s no longer sniffling into his sleeve, and her eyes are finally free of tears. After a quick drive, Zuko drops them all off at the school before looping back to find a parking spot, and Katara leaps into mom-mode, making sure each kid is clean and crumb-free and ready to sing for the school show. 

Sokka’s eyes are carefully trained on her as she kisses the tops of Bumi’s unruly waves, Kya’s messy curls, and Izumi’s meticulously tied ponytail before sending them off to join their classmates.

“You’re whipped,” Sokka notes dryly.

Folding her arms over her chest, Katara narrows her eyes at her brother, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He just grins knowingly, “You love _both_ of them.” Then, he badgers her for more snacks while they wait for Zuko to return to the front of the school.

When he finally rejoins them, Zuko shoots Katara a concerned look, “How’re you feeling?” He reaches for her hand, and she appreciates the comforting gesture before he pulls away moments later.

“I’ll be okay,” she offers him a half-hearted smile.

Sokka tugs her into a brief hug before messing with her curls. Her smile becomes genuine.

Then, they make their way through the small school auditorium, finding seats toward the middle. Zuko and Sokka sit on either side of her, and she drops her bag on the floor, flipping through the program she received at the door. 

As Zuko preps his phone to film and Sokka gushes over the classic architecture of the old auditorium, Katara searches for where all three of their little ones’ names are listed in the credits of the pamphlet. The heavy curtain’s still drawn across the old wooden stage, and people are still filing into the auditorium and choosing their seats. After her boss, the school’s principal, steps to the front and introduces the show, the night finally begins.

Kya’s group is up first, a bunch of pre-k classes combined into one performance. To her credit, Kya does focuses as best she can on the teacher conducting her class, only breaking her concentration once or twice in order to beam at Katara, Sokka, and Zuko.

There’s a short interlude and then another pre-k performance, but Izumi’s kindergarten class goes up slightly after. Solemn Izumi puts her heart into every word she sings, and her commitment never wavers, taking each and every musical piece performed as seriously as possible.

Ten minutes later, Bumi’s group steps onto the stage, and her little boy is distracted, as always, but he’s smiling, thankfully. He swings his body back and forth vigorously as he sings, not paying attention to anyone but Katara offstage. Once the last note of his last song’s been sung, he waves at Katara excitedly, and all the stress of the night dissipates as she waves back.

After each one of the performances, Sokka lets out a whoop, and Zuko grins, successfully catching all their kiddos’ performances on video. Once or twice throughout the night, Katara’s head drops to rest against Zuko’s shoulder, but he doesn’t seem to mind, if the arm he drapes along the back of her chair is any indication.

Once the show’s over, they pack up their things and head to the lobby where parents are being linked with their children. Bumi, Izumi, and Kya all cluster around them, chattering eagerly and complaining about being hungry and asking if the either of the parents brought them any water. 

As Katara hands out thermoses and snack bags, she glances up at Sokka and Zuko, “Time for dinner?”

“Let’s do it,” Zuko agrees.

Sokka snorts, “It’s _always_ time for dinner, Katara.” He grins before insisting that he sit in the front seat this time around. Katara shrugs and hops into the back without question as they all pile into the car. When they finally arrive at a nearby pho shop, both parents are stunned as Sokka quickly unbuckles the kids’ seatbelts, ushering them out of the car and forcing the doors closed behind them.

“Sokka, what’re you doing?” Katara asks flatly, squinting her blue eyes in mild confusion.

“ _I’m_ taking my niece and nephew and friend’s kid to get pho,” Sokka shoots back. “And you two are staying in here to talk. Don’t come out until you’re done.” He passes her another pointed look. “I’ll know if you’ve talked so don’t try to pull a fast one on me.” The car doors close behind them as Sokka leads all three of the children into the shop.

The car grows strangely quiet as Katara crawls from the back to the seat Sokka vacated, folding her fingers together primly atop her lap as Zuko shifts uncomfortably in his seat.

“Do you… do you know what this is about?” Zuko finally asks, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

She coughs into the crook of her arm lightly, “No clue.”

With a sigh, Zuko rests his head against the steering wheel. “Sokka is one hell of a person, that’s for sure.” Uncertainly, he glances over to look at her, and she colors when she realizes he’s caught her studying him.

“Zuko…” Katara begins. She feels as though her throat is closing up. “Zuko, I just want you to know that I’ve really appreciated you and Izumi over the past few months. My kiddos and I are very fortunate to have met you both, and I…” She has to do this. She can’t afford to have her kids’ hearts or her _own_ broken over another man. “I just really needed to talk to you concerning… the nature of our relationship.”

He looks startled at first and then guilty, “Katara, I’m sorry if I’ve crossed any boundaries that I shouldn’t have. Tonight, with Bumi… I just wanted to help.”

Her hand reaches out to grip his arm before she can stop it. “No, Zuko, it’s not that you’ve crossed any boundaries… yet. I just,” she licks her bottom lip nervously. Her heart is racing in her chest uncontrollably. “I just really need to make sure that any men that enter my life and the lives of my kids have good intentions, and I don’t want to read too far into any of our interactions throughout our friendship, but I really, really like you, and that can be a dangerous thing.”

“A dangerous thing?” he echoes back, placing a hand atop hers. “Katara, I really like you too.”

She’s not surprised. They’ve both known for some time but have never spoken on it. Truthfully, she just might be in love with him. “We’ve both got kids,” she replies, barely above a whisper. “We can’t break their hearts.”

Zuko nods. “I know.” He’s gravely serious. “A relationship for us would look a lot different in comparison to one for others.” He slips her hands through his own. “But I’m willing to try if you are.”

“We can’t break their hearts, Zuko,” she chokes back. “Having another father figure stripped from my kids would kill me. They’re already so attached as it is.”

Leaning in his seat over the console, Zuko cups her face with his warm hands. “And Izumi and I are both beyond smitten with you, Bumi, and Kya.” His thumbs skim along her lips as a few wisps of her hair slip from behind her ears. “Let me marry you one day, Katara.”

Her brows draw together, and her breath is stolen from her lungs. It’s not a promise of now but of later, and it’s one that she will accept. “Yes, Zuko,” she whispers back. “We can figure this out together.”

_She loves him._

The words are there, bubbling in anticipation, ready to leap off the tip of her tongue, but she doesn’t say them. Not yet. It’s not the right time. 

Instead, she yields to Zuko’s touch as he tilts her chin up to meet him, capturing her lips with his own. There’s a certain peace that washes over her now, knowing exactly where she and Zuko stand in terms of the relationship that exists between just the two of them.

“You’re incredible, Katara.” He holds her across the console like she’s something precious.

She’s nearly breathless now. “So are you, Zuko.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again, i hope Z and K's relationship feels natural, especially given their situation. i've been trying to be as sensitive and delicate as possible while also progressing them forward. 
> 
> blended families are hella special, and while i'm not from one myself, i've asked a few of my friends (who are from blended families) to assist me w accuracy.
> 
> hit me up via [Tumblr](http://elsie-zel.tumblr.com/) or [Twitter](https://twitter.com/elsie_zel) if you wanna. we've had quite the ride over in ZK Tumblr land recently. i am for real drained. (but omg thank you guys for 100 kudos on this fic)
> 
> Elsie


	4. love and loopies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leaving Izumi with his sister, Azula, who's flown from Caldera to Ba Sing Se in order to help him, Zuko takes Katara out to dinner in order to ask her something very important.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! this chapter took me fOREVER to write for some reason (as everyone who follows my Tumblr/Twitter already knows, lol), but i'm so glad it's finally done :))
> 
> we're back to Zuko's pov, and we finally have some Azula content!!! (Azula is my favorite part out of this whole chapter, sorry not sorry)

“You want what?” Zuko nearly drops the hair elastic he’s holding.

“Hair loopies!” Izumi repeats again with a pout. “I want hair loopies like Ms. Katara and Kya.”

The mention of Katara leaves Zuko feeling rather dazed, especially as he considers the necklace and the pair of rings weighing heavily in his shorts pockets. “Hair loopies… I don’t quite know how to do those yet, turtleduck.”

“Can you learn how to do them, Daddy?” His little girl’s golden eyes are wide and pleading. 

His lips twist into a fond smile as he sweeps her dark hair up into a tight ponytail before securing it with the elastic. “I’ll see if Ms. Katara can help me out sometime, okay?” Then, he drops into a slight crouch so that he can be eye-level with her. “Zumi… I know we’ve spoken about this before, but… You’re still okay with what we spoke about before?”

Her brows draw together in confusion. “About hair loopies?”

“About our family,” Zuko corrects carefully, resting his hands on Izumi’s shoulders. “About what I want to ask Ms. Katara.”

Her face lights up in recognition. “Will we get to live with Bumi and Kya?” She rocks on her heels as she fiddles with the two toy dolls she’s got gripped between her fists. Her knee-length skirt flares out slightly as she twirls.

Exhaling lightly, Zuko smiles at her, “If Ms. Katara says we can.”

Her small hands fly out to grab hold of his arm, “Daddy, you _have_ to ask her soon, please? I want to be with Bumi and Kya all the time.” 

Arching a brow slightly, Zuko doesn’t bother hiding his amusement, tucking his sunglasses into his shirt so that they hang toward the center of his chest, “That’s the plan, Zumi. I’m going to ask her tonight while you play with Aunt Azula. She should be here any minute now.”

“Will Aunt Azula play dolls with me?” Izumi asks him eagerly, arching her back lightly as she stands on her tiptoes.

Zuko snorts, “No promises, turtleduck. But I hear that she brought you some presents from Caldera.”

“I guess I’ll take presents…” Izumi’s lips slide into a pout as she folds her arms over her chest.

His expression turns serious as he holds his little girl’s gaze, “Izumi… I’m expecting you to be on your best behavior tonight while I’m away.”

“I will, Daddy,” Izumi promises solemnly, her golden eyes earnest. 

The doorbell to their apartment rings, which Zuko’s been expecting since giving the doorman the go-ahead to let Azula up. Withdrawing from his daughter, he goes to open the front door, his sister standing on the other side.

Without any preamble, Azula glides into the apartment as though she owns the place and drops several bags onto the floor, her expensive perfume instantly permeating every single one of Zuko’s senses. “And _where_ might my favorite niece be?” 

“Hey, what about me?” Zuko’s eyes narrow into a glare as Azula gathers Izumi into her arms.

As Azula kicks off her heels, she feigns a sigh, exchanging glances with Izumi. “And where might my least favorite brother be?”

Zuko rolls his eyes as Izumi giggles. “It’s good to see you too, Azula,” he says flatly. “Zumi, why don’t you go play with your dolls in your room, okay?”

With an enthusiastic nod, Izumi flies down the hall to her room, quickly becoming engrossed in her game of dolls.

“Azula,” Zuko begins. “I really appreciate you flying here and –”

“Let’s cut to the chase here,” Azula cuts in smoothly. She examines her carefully manicured nails with a coolness that never fails to send shivers down Zuko’s spine. “Where's the hot brother?”

“The hot brother?”

“Yes, the hot brother,” she replies matter-of-factly. “Don’t you remember? You enticed me here using the adorable little niece you’ve given me and your hot soon-to-be brother-in-law. Where is he?”

“Azula, not now,” Zuko hisses, begging the spirits to save him from this awkward situation. “Zumi’s in the other room.” As his sister continues to run her fingertips along the tops of her long, rather scary looking nails, he wonders briefly if Sokka has a type… Is Azula anyone’s type? 

“So there _is_ a hot brother?”

“ _Azula_.” Sokka isn’t even hot, in Zuko’s opinion; although, Azula may think otherwise… 

“I kid, dum-dum, I kid.” Azula steps further into the apartment with dainty feet, examining the space with an unimpressed expression.

“Yeah right.”

She sets her designer purse onto the coffee table, her eyes flashing with amusement. “You know me far too well for your own good, Zuzu.”

“Speak for yourself.” Zuko remains in the foyer, the pieces of jewelry in his pockets weighing heavily on his mind. “I fed Izumi dinner at five so she should be good on food for the rest of the night. She should be in bed by seven, eight by the latest because it’s a Friday night. Please text or call me if anything goes wrong.”

“Why don’t you just leave the hot brother’s number with me and I can call _him_ if anything goes wrong?” The smirk that spreads across Azula’s features makes him want to tear his eyes out.

Sometimes Zuko forgets how scandalous his sister can be. “ _Azula_.” Or maybe he’s just getting old.

“It was worth a shot.” She sinks onto the living room couch, propping her pedicured feet up on the coffee table while arching a brow challengingly.

Zuko lets out a strangled sigh. “You really are something else, you know that, right?”

“Oh, I’m well aware. Now go get yourself a damn wife.” The devious look in her golden eyes intensifies. “And a hot brother-in-law.”

“Agni, I can’t deal with you right now,” he begins to tug his shoes on. “I love you, Zumi!” he calls. “Have a fun night with Auntie Zula. I’ll see you in the morning when you wake up!”

“Bye Daddy! Say hi to Ms. Katara for me – And don’t forget to ask her!” Izumi comes rushing down the hall to give him one last hug. “You _need_ to ask her.”

Azula nods her head in agreement from her spot on the sofa, adding dryly, “It seems that Uncle is quite taken with her too. You’d better make your move quickly, Zuko, or he’ll make it for you.” She reaches for her purse, placing it on her lap so she can rummage around in it. “Now, niece, we’d better let your father leave so that we can get on to the matter of the presents I’ve brought for you from Caldera.”

With a squeal, Izumi races to her aunt’s side, “You brought presents?”

“Of course I did,” Azula replies rather haughtily. “It’s been quite some time since I saw you last, and I’ve missed you a lot since the move. Caldera simply isn’t the same without my dear niece.” She softens, wrapping an arm around the little girl, before nodding at Zuko. “You should go, Zuzu. You don’t want to keep Katara waiting.”

“Thanks again, Zula,” Zuko grins. Knowing that his daughter will be in safe, albeit slightly chaotic, hands for the night sets his heart at ease as he strides out the apartment and retrieves his car from the lot.

He can’t quite decipher just exactly how he’s feeling at the moment as he drives to Katara’s house, drumming his fingers anxiously against the wheel. The rings and the necklace are still tucked away in his pocket, and he tries to convince himself that the sweat beading on his brow is from the sun, not nerves.

As he arrives at Katara’s front door, he shoots her a quick text, letting her know that he’s waiting in the car.

Five minutes feel like an eternity before he spots her on the porch, lecturing Sokka and reiterating instructions before leaving her big brother alone with Bumi and Kya. As she makes her way down the porch steps, careful to close the front gate on her way out, she passes him a cautious smile before crawling into the passenger’s seat.

“Hi.” Zuko’s grateful that the greeting doesn’t get caught at the back of his throat. What is he… a lovestruck teenager? He’s done this once before, and he can do it again, for Agni’s sake.

As she buckles her seatbelt, Katara drops her purse on the floor of the car, “Hi.”

Navigating his car back onto the road is easy since her street is void of any traffic. “You look beautiful tonight.” He means it sincerely. She’s beautiful all day, every day.

In a bright blue sundress that matches the color of her eyes, Katara looks like a dream, especially with all her frizzy curls, excepting her hair loopies, pulled into a messy pile at the top of her head. “Thank you, Zuko.” Her smile is so vibrant that he can see it from his peripherals. “You clean up well too.”

He’d beg to differ. He’s wearing what Azula snidely refers to as his “dad shorts,” and he’s tucked his sunglasses into the collar of his shirt the same way that Uncle does. Uncle. Uncle Iroh who’s in his _seventies._

Still, he keeps his eyes on the road, his lips tilting upward before he can stop them, “How does galbi sound for dinner? We can go to your favorite place by the park.”

“That’d be lovely.”

So they have dinner… After Zuko’s circled around the area for fifteen minutes, searching for a place he can park his car. After Katara receives a call from Sokka, who’s desperately trying to appease a crying Kya. After Zuko ignores a text from Azula, who’s demanding to know if any progress has been made and if she’ll be able to meet Katara’s hot brother soon.

Zuko’s sure he’d be enjoying the whole experience a lot more if he weren’t hyper aware of the jewelry in his pocket. The restaurant’s fairly empty, and the atmosphere is peaceful because of it. 

Although Katara eats her galbi straight, Zuko takes to dipping his into a small dish of spicy gochujang with his chopsticks. They eat their fill over the next hour while having pleasant conversation, but even the burn on his tongue isn’t enough to distract him from the nervousness growing in the pit of his stomach.

Once he’s settled the bill, they both stand, and Katara slips her hand through his. She’s shivering slightly from the air conditioning, drawing close to his side and smiling up at him. They step outside, but she doesn’t let go of his hand, and he hopes that his palms aren’t sweaty.

Zuko’s done this once before but can’t ever recall feeling _this_ nervous prior to proposing to Mai.

He thinks back to when they first became official, only a few months ago after the kids’ spring concert. That night, he’d asked her if she’d let him marry her one day. She’d agreed. She’d said that they’d figure it out together.

But still, he can’t help but feel nervous. Is he worthy of marrying a woman like Katara? Does she love him? Has this all been a thing of convenient circumstance?

Katara is now an integral part of Zuko’s life, and he’ll be the first one to admit it. The same goes for her children.

He loves her. He loves Izumi, his little girl. He loves Bumi and Kya. 

As they walk along the outskirts of the park, he doesn’t realize how silent he’s grown until Katara clears her throat.

“You’re certainly quiet tonight,” she notes, squeezing his hand lightly. “Is everything all right, Zuko?”

His throat goes dry as they approach the park entrance. “I… Yeah. Everything is okay.”

The air is slightly humid, and the sun is still high in the sky, sharing its bright rays of light and its all-encompassing warmth with all of Ba Sing Se.

They tread on a gravel pathway, trees arching overhead gracefully as the wind cuts through the area, bringing a blessed cool to the otherwise hot night. 

“Are you sure?” Katara asks, the skirt of her dress billowing slightly outward with each step.

Zuko lets several seconds pass by, and it’s agonizing, but he wants to be at the right place for what should be a special moment.

They draw near the lake toward the center of the park, and the terrain becomes more dense as they walk on the lightly packed dirt just a few paces away from the shore. It’s a somewhat isolated spot; there are turtleducks paddling along the water’s surface, children yelling as they frequent the playground toward the west, people milling about the other side of the lake.

“Zuko?” she sounds worried now. 

His eyes snap to attention. “Yes?” His feet come to a halt on their own accord.

She squeezes his hand once, then twice. “You’re so preoccupied… What’s on your mind?”

His breath catches at the back of his throat as he reaches for her other hand, gripping both of hers tightly with his own. “Katara… You probably… You probably know where this is going, but I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately, and –”

“That’s never a good sign,” she cuts in with an amused smile.

He laughs nervously before his expression turns serious. “You know where this is going, and if you’re not ready, please tell me, and I’ll stop right away, and we can just enjoy our walk like planned, and –”

“Zuko.” She’s smiling even wider now. “Say what you want to say. I’m listening.”

“Katara.” He clears his throat, running his thumbs along the tops of her hands. “We’ve known each other for almost a year now, and at first, I was really only interested in being your friend. The move was hard on Izumi, and we were both lonely.” Steadily avoiding her gaze, he continues, “But our friendship with you and Bumi and Kya became so much more to me – to us both.”

All his thoughts are a mess, and he pauses for a moment to recollect them. “I’ve grown to love you, Katara, and your children. I know that our relationship has been unconventional, and I don’t know if we’re moving too slow or too quickly, but… This just feels right, and I’m going to do it, if that’s okay with you.” 

Quirking a brow, Katara nods. “Go ahead.” Her eyes are sparkling, and he’s relieved for yet another confirmation from his girlfriend that they’re both on the same page.

With a sigh, Zuko digs around in his pockets for a few moments before pulling out the delicate pieces of jewelry he kept tucked away in them. “Katara.” His voice comes out in a darker rasp than usual, but he tries to play it off as best he can. “Katara, I love you. I asked you months ago if you’d agree to be my wife one day.” He pauses again.

She gives him another encouraging nod before deciding to tease him. “Zuko… Am I going to have to ask you myself?”

That draws a scowl out of him, and he huffs. “Of course not. I’m trying to set up a moment here, Katara.”

“Oh, yes,” she agrees sagely, a twinkle in her eyes. “A _moment_.”

Fiddling with the necklace, he feels about as eloquent as an awkward teenager, yet her teasing sets him strangely at ease, even if he’d rather die before admitting it to her. “Yes, a _moment._ Now, where was I?” The words don’t come to him as easily as he’d like, but they get the point across. “You agreed to be my wife one day, and I’d like to make that official.”

He holds up the necklace and then one of the rings. “Katara, will you marry me?”

It’s something that they, prior to meeting one another, had never dreamed possible. It’s something they’ve spoken about before, both alone and with the children. It’s something that they’ve always known would be in their future. 

To have the question hanging in the air between them, fully realized, though… 

Katara hasn’t stopped smiling since he began talking, and she throws her arms around his neck. “Zuko…”

Her sudden movement nearly causes him to drop the engagement jewelry. “Agni, Katara,” he laughs. “What’s your answer? I want you to put these on before I accidentally drop them in the lake.”

“You _know_ my answer.”

The scowl that stretches along Zuko’s face is a fake one. “But I want to hear you say it.”

As she threads her hands through his hair, Katara’s expression morphs into one of amusement once again. “I’ll marry you, Zuko.” When she registers the necklace he’s holding, though, she freezes. “Is that… my mother’s necklace?” she asks, stunned. “I haven’t seen it in years.”

“It is.” He drapes it around her neck, fumbling a bit with the clasp. “Your dad wanted to give it back, and your gran gran had it refurbished.”

Katara’s eyes grow misty as she runs a gentle finger along the face of the pendant. “After my mother passed, I wore this necklace every day.” She doesn’t look up at him, but he understands. “When I got engaged to Aang, I gave the necklace back to Dad and wore the one Aang gave me. After the divorce, I couldn’t find it in me to ask for the necklace again, and I already have my own reminder of Mom through Kya.” Her voice wavers slightly. He knows all this already, but he remains quiet as he listens. “I missed it, though. Thank you, Zuko.”

Then, she wraps her arms around his waist and hides her face in his chest, “She would have loved you.”

Folding her in a hug, he slides the ring onto her finger in the process. “My mom would’ve loved you too.”

“This is beautiful.” She pulls away from him to examine the cool band of metal on her ring finger.

With a sad smile, Zuko finds the other ring in his pocket and slips his on too. “These used to belong to my mother. Sort of. When our parents passed, Azula ended up getting their couple rings, but I got one of my mom’s favorite bracelets. I had the metal melted down to make these.”

“They’re perfect,” she whispers, gripping his shoulders so that she can draw him down and rest her forehead against his. “I love you, and I love our families, and I can’t _wait_ to marry you.”

“I love you too, Katara,” he smiles. Then, he glances at his watch and blanches. “We should probably head back. How much do you wanna bet that the kids haven’t fallen asleep yet?”

She brushes a few of her fingers against her necklace pendant. “A box of hodo kwaja.” 

Hodo kwaja, a pastry made of walnuts and red bean, typical street food in the Earth Kingdom. Their favorite.

“You’re on.” Zuko holds one of her hands in his, and his heart thrills as the cool metal of her ring brushes against his skin. “And, for the record, I can’t wait to marry you too. Izumi’s been asking for hair loopies, and I don’t know how to do them at all.”

“So you’re just marrying me for my hair looping ability?” Katara jokes, squeezing his hand.

“No,” he smiles. “I’m marrying you because I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm trying to do as much research as i can in order to be respectful to Inuit culture via my interpretation of Water Tribe culture, but if anything in this fic ever feels off, please let me know!!
> 
> also, altho i know that Fire Nation culture is primarily based off Japanese culture, i'm not Japanese so kjfhghfg. most of the food i use in my writing is Korean bc it's the only thing i can guarantee i'll get right (in addition to the fact that the Earth Kingdom had some Korean influence in show, and this fic is set in Ba Sing Se)
> 
> ok those were my cultural disclaimers. i'm going to make a Tumblr post explaining my reasoning behind the way Zuko and Katara got engaged (there's a cultural reason for this that's too long to explain since i've already written such an extensive author's note jkfgjkhfg)
> 
> but tysm for reading! i'm sorry this update took so long lol. we only have one more chap of this to go tho! my [Tumblr](http://elsie-zel.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/elsie_zel) are the best ways to stay informed abt my erratic update schedule :))
> 
> Elsie


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